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What can a user of a public service do in a town hall?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Wear a sign of religious belonging. A user can wear a sign of religious belonging. Neutrality applies to agents, not to users. This freedom is limited in some situations, for example to check a person's identity. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “La laïcité dans les services publics” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “La laïcité dans les services publics” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ Try to convert people at the counterFaire du prosélytisme au guichetThis option does not match what the sheet says: a user can wear a sign of religious belonging.
- ✗ Ask for a service adapted to their religionDemander un service adapté à sa religionIt is not possible to ask for a public service to be adapted for a religion.
- ✓ Wear a sign of religious belongingPorter un signe d'appartenance religieuseCorrect answer. A user can wear a sign of religious belonging. Neutrality applies to agents, not to users. This freedom is limited in some situations, for example to check a person's identity.
- ✗ Keep a veil on during the identity checkGarder son voile pendant la vérification d'identitéFor a passport, the veil is removed briefly to check identity.
What the source says
« Elles peuvent donc porter un signe d’appartenance religieuse. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Que peut faire un usager du service public dans une mairie ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR) and on the naturalisation list (PDF read on 14 October 2026). The Ministry's wording: “Que peut faire un usager du service public dans une mairie ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “La laïcité dans les services publics” (French).
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